Another Kilmer Poem - for Memorial Day

A few days ago I included Thanksgiving, a little poem by Joyce Kilmer, in another of my posts. It’s one of those poems that challenges us to rethink our understanding of the events and influences that can dominate the times of our lives. It also asks us to accept that nothing is simply coincidental, that God can bring good out of everything, even that which from an objective, human perspective can seem downright evil. I’ve always believed that as he wrote Thanksgiving, Kilmer might well have been thinking of St. Paul’s famous words to the Romans:

“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” [Rom 8:28].

Kilmer certainly believed this, and realized God is always in control despite our foolish attempts to subvert His plan for humanity. Everything is a gift for those who love the Lord, even though we don’t understand how God will bring good from it. Believing this, we must then thank God for everything. 

The poet was also “called according to His purpose” in both his life and his death. Perhaps most fittingly, Kilmer wrote this poem from the trenches of World War One. Immersed in the chaotic horror of that war, Sergeant Kilmer faced death and destruction daily. He was highly respected by both the troops and the officers of his battalion. Sadly, Kilmer died in that war, killed instantly by a German sniper on July 30,1918. And yet, although an enlisted man, he was buried next to the officers with whom he served, a most unusual honor in those days. But in truth it was more of an honor for the officers than for Kilmer.

Anyway, all this thinking and writing about Joyce Kilmer, brought to mind another of his brief poems that I read years ago. I’d forgotten the name of the poem, so I had to do a little searching, and finally found it. I had mistakenly remembered its title as “Princes,” but it turned out to be “Kings.” I thought it particularly relevant for our world today, especially Kilmer’s description of the perversion of power. Yes, indeed, the “Kings of the earth” will be so very surprised when in their powerlessness they are called to account by the Prince of Peace. Here’s the poem:

                       Kings

The Kings of the earth are men of might,

And cities are burned for their delight,

And the skies rain death in the silent night,

And the hills belch death all day!

But the King of Heaven, Who made them all,

Is fair and gentle, and very small;

He lies in the straw, by the oxen's stall -- 

Let them think of Him to-day!

It’s evident why so many critics disliked Kilmer. He was simply too simple. He wrote for everyone, unlike so many poets who wrote only for each other and for the literati who could get them published in all the right journals. Kilmer also didn’t disguise his Christianity which he displayed prominently in so much of his work. No doubt this was a major irritant to the faithless denizens of New York’s literary circles. 

Of course, as simple as I am, I’ve always enjoyed his poetry. Some of this appreciation for Kilmer might stem from a few rather vague connections. I was brought up in Larchmont, a suburb of New York City, a village where Kilmer also lived for a time. Of course, he died long before I was born, and 30 years before we moved to Larchmont, but we were both parishioners of St. Augustine Parish. Because of this parish connection, he was somewhat of a local celebrity and the Dominican sisters who taught in the parish school introduced us to his poetry early, in the fifth or sixth grade. My parents were also friends with an older woman, who had known Kilmer as a young man. Apparently, her family had lived next door to Kilmer. She spoke about him often and waxed eloquently about the “handsome, young poet.” So, I suppose I was primed to like him and his work, but I think that’s true of most of our earliest influences. 

Today though, on this Memorial Day, we can pray that the "Kings of the earth" will someday actually approach the Prince of Peace on their knees in repentance. But in the meantime, I am called to remember and thank God for so many of my friends and comrades who sacrificed their lives for you and for me and for generations to come. Because of my own involvement, I especially thank God for those who died during the Vietnam conflict. But I also thank God for those who died in so many other conflicts, including Sergeant Joyce Kilmer, another hero who served a nation and its people and selflessly sacrificed his life for us. 

May Almighty God bless them all and keep them.

May His face shine upon them and be gracious to them.

May He look upon them with kindness and give them peace.

May Almighty God bless them, 

   in the name of the Father,

   and of the Son,

   and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

In Memory...Always

Memory is one of God's great gifts because it keeps alive the people and events of the past so we can, in a certain sense, relive and reappreciate them. We can also learn from these memories, since in hindsight they often provide lessons that teach us how to live better lives. Equally important, though, our memories can be shared with others, with future generations, so they too can benefit from the experiences that have formed us into who we are. We shouldn't, then, hide these memories, but should pass them on, telling the stories of those who have gone before us.

My everyday thoughts, and I expect yours too, are often interrupted by memories, some sought and many unbidden, memories that call me back to other times and places. But Memorial Day is different. On this day we make a conscious decision to remember some very special individuals: those who have sacrificed their lives for our country, for their fellow citizens, and for the timeless values enshrined in our Constitution. 

For many Americans these memories are very personal, reminding us of family members, other relatives, friends, and those with whom we served. For me, today calls to mind a long list that includes many friends, shipmates, and Naval Academy classmates who made the ultimate sacrifice, most during the Vietnam, conflict. I've probably mentioned some of these men in previous Memorial Day posts, but that's okay; we really can't mention them enough. Indeed, hardly a day passes when I don't think of some of them and pray for them and their families. Here are just a few.

2nd Lt Henry Wright, USMC, was a Naval Academy classmate (1967) and a friend. Henry, only 21, was our first classmate to lose his life in combat. Henry led a platoon to the relief of a company under attack south of Da Nang during the communist Tet offensive. He led an attack against heavily entrenched enemy positions and was mortally wounded while directing covering fire for the evacuation of wounded Marines. During the action he carried his wounded radioman to safety and tended to him until the arrival of a corpsman. Henry died on February 6, 1968...forever young.

Captain Ron Zinn, US Army, was my brother Jeff's West Point classmate (1962) and roommate. Because we lived only 50 miles from West Point, Ron often spent weekends at our home and treated me like a kid brother. (The photo is of Jeff and Ron on their graduation day.) Ron was an amazing young man, a world-class race walker who represented the USA in two Olympic games (1960 and 1964). But he was an Army officer first and during his tour in Vietnam, he died as a result of small arms fire during a firefight in Gia Dinh province. Ron was only 26 when he died on July 7, 1965. My brother, Jeff, also a Vietnam vet, died on January 19, 2010 

There are many others, most of them classmates who died in Vietnam or while training for combat: Hal Castle, Bart Creed, Jim Hicks, Guido Carloni, Tom Lange, and so many more. And I have to add another classmate, Mike Smith, astronaut and pilot of the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle...all good men. How did Our Lord Jesus put it?

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" [Jn 15:16].

We thank them all today and every day for their sacrifice; and we thank God for their letting us share in their lives.

Have a prayerful Memorial Day.

St. Augustine National Cemetery

A few years ago Diane and I spent a long weekend in St. Augustine, Florida. We stayed at the St. Francis Inn, an absolutely wonderful B&B, and enjoyed ourselves just roaming around the small city and seeing the sights. We did all the typical touristy things, popped in and out of galleries, stopped by the local winery, and sampled the food in several of the restaurants. But no meal could compare with the breakfast at our B&B. It was exquisite.

Among the many places we visited was one of the nation's smallest national cemeteries, the Saint Augustine National Cemetery. I was especially interested in visiting the cemetery because it contains the graves of the soldiers who were ambushed on December 28, 1835 by a large force of Seminole Indians. Led by Major Francis Dade, 108 soldiers perished. Only two or three soldiers and an interpreter managed to survive the attack. The actual battlefield -- the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park -- is located in Bushnell, Florida, right here in Sumter County, just a few miles from our home. Diane and I had visited the battlefield on several occasions, but never the cemetery where these men were all interred. The Florida Indian War lasted seven years from 1835 until 1842. The bodies of the slain soldiers had been buried at the site of the battle, and it wasn't until 1842 that the soldiers' remains were reinterred in St. Augustine.

The soldiers were buried in three mass graves, each marked by an unusual, large pyramid-like stone. An obelisk and memorial plaque also mark the site. In the below photo the three pyramids are visible in the background, behind the obelisk. I've also included a close-up of one of the pyramid markers.

These days the Florida Indian War is likely viewed by many as being eminently politically incorrect, but these men were all U.S. Army soldiers who were fulfilling their duties to protect the settlers in the Florida territory. (Florida didn't become a state until 1845.) Anyway, I refuse to cancel them and will instead include them among all those who gave their lives in service to our nation. It seemed only fitting to remember these men, as we remember so many others, on this Memorial Day.

Due to its size and age, the St. Augustine National Cemetery is "full" and conducts no new internments, so if, like me, you're an aging veteran, you have to choose another. But the cemetery is truly worth a visit if you're ever in St. Augustine.

Memories of Heroes I've Known

I had to run  a few errands this morning and happened to be wearing an old Navy ballcap. When I entered the local hardware store, the young lady who greeted me said, "Thank you for your service, especially today on Memorial Day." And when I went to the check-out area, another young woman said pretty much the same thing. Now, I realize they were being wonderfully patriotic and were also expressing thanks for the years I spent in the Navy, so I just smiled and said, "Thanks. But today remember those who didn't return."

Today, Memorial Day, is not a day to honor veterans. We do that in November. And it's not a day to express delight in a three-day weekend or the opportunity to welcome the coming of summer by rolling out the barbeque grill. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, a day to honor some very special people: men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defense of our nation and its sovereign citizenry. In fact, I've never been happy with the decision by Congress back in 1968 to move Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday of May. Making a three-day weekend out of what should truly be a sacred day -- a secular holy day, if you like -- just seemed to de-emphasize its meaning, to water it down. 

I'd like to think that for most Americans Memorial Day is also a day of prayer, a day in which we offer prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of these heroes. Because that's what they are. They are God's gift to the rest of us, for through their sacrifice we continue to reap and share the bounty of this unique nation. God has certainly blessed us and it's so very sad to see so many today who, through remarkable ignorance, despise the nation founded on the principles that enable them to express their hatred publicly without fear of retribution.  

Today I remember many men I knew and some few whom I counted among my friends. Most were Naval Academy classmates (Class of 1967) who lost their lives in Vietnam or during training in preparation for combat. I count the following among my friends. If you click on their names, you can read their stories. 

Henry Wright, 21, a dedicated Marine officer, the first of our classmates to lose his life in Vietnam on February 6, 1968. 

Hal Castle, 23, a fellow helicopter pilot, shot down in South Vietnam.

Bart Creed, 25, an A-7 pilot, shot down over Laos. 

Jim Hicks, 26, Guido Carloni, 24, and Tom Lange, 25, each lost his life in an aircraft accident during training for deployment to Vietnam. 

And then there was Ron Zinn, 26, my brother Jeff's West Point roommate, class of 1962. Ron, who treated me like a kid brother, was a world-class race walker and died in a 1965 firefight in Vietnam. 

Chuck Jeffries, 28, killed in an ambush by communist insurgents in the Philippines in 1974.

And I have to add another friend who survived combat tours in Vietnam. Classmate Mike Smith, 40, astronaut and space shuttle pilot, died in the Challenger disaster. 

There were many, many others, classmates and shipmates, far too many to mention here, but all remain in my prayers. Take some time today to remember those you have known who gave their lives so you could live the life you have lived.

Memorial Day

I suppose it's a sign of age, but I still can't get used to this Monday holiday thing. For my younger readers, assuming I have any, the change came about in 1968 when Congress passed the cleverly named Uniform Monday Holiday Act. As a result, in 1971 Memorial Day began to be celebrated on the last Monday of May. 

I much preferred it when Memorial Day always fell on May 30, no matter what. It seemed far more sacred when it didn't just mean the third day of a three-day weekend. In some respects, and to a large portion of our citizenry, Memorial Day has lost its meaning. This morning, for example, I watched as a stream of young, college-age kids were interviewed on some beach. For most Memorial Day simply meant another day to party, instead of a special day to thank those who gave their lives so they could enjoy theirs. 

I really can't envision an easy way to educate the younger generations on such things since our school systems probably teach that our dead soldiers, sailors, and marines were just a collection of militaristic racists, fascists, and Islamophobes. Too many of their parents haven't a clue either, so maybe it's up to the grandparents, while we're still around. 

My opinion? Get rid of all those three-day weekends. The birthdays of George Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12) got dumped in favor of the insipid Presidents Day, now celebrated on the third Monday of February. I would guess a vast majority of American under the age of 40 don't know that Presidents Day celebrates the lives of these two men: Washington and Lincoln. A few years ago, one of our soup kitchen guests told me that Presidents Day celebrated "Obama's birthday." She was more than a little disappointed when I informed her of its actual purpose.

And then there's Columbus Day...Yes, we still celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Originally celebrated on October 12, it was moved to the second Monday of October. 

Of course, the politically correct crowd considers Columbus to be guilty of genocide and lump him together with such pleasant people as Adolph Hitler. Although it's still, thankfully, a national holiday, many states have stopped celebrating Columbus Day, replacing it with such holidays as Indigenous Peoples Day or Discoverers Day or Native American Day. I'm sorry, but I'll stick with Columbus. And do you know something else? I'm glad the Europeans came here and took over, bringing Christianity with them. Yes, they weren't always kind to the natives, but in truth the natives had a history of being far more brutal to each other. This doesn't excuse those who mistreated the indigenous folks, but like today too many didn't practice their Christian faith. Anyway, come October 12, I will raise a glass of good Italian wine in a salute to that intrepid explorer.

This year, because the nation will celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, and since May 30 falls on Saturday, I've decided to celebrate Memorial Week instead. 

I will thank God first for the many men I knew well who gave their lives for us -- men like Henry Wright and Bart Creed, just two of many of my Naval Academy classmates (1967) who lost their lives during the Vietnam conflict. I'll also remember Ron Zinn, my brother's West Point classmate (1962) and roommate who died in combat in Vietnam. This week I will pray for the souls of these men, as well as all the other valiant men I knew who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. 

USNA Class (1967) Service Deaths

I will also thank God for those in my family who served this country honorably but are no longer with us. Since none of them died in combat, I realize it's more fitting to celebrate their lives on Veterans Day. But each of these men were more than willing to give up their lives for their country. I think of my grandfather, Sgt. John McCarthy, who served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and then took part in the rescue mission to Peking during the Boxer Rebellion. I think, too, of my Uncle Bill Dorley, who served in the Navy aboard an Atlantic destroyer during World War One; and my father, Colonel John McCarthy, who served in Europe during and after World War Two; and my brother, Major Jeff McCarthy, who, like me, served in Vietnam. 

I ask you all to call to mind those you knew who gave their lives so that we might live ours in freedom. Thank God for them this week. Pray for their souls, that our loving God take them into His eternal embrace. Jesus said it best the night before He died: 

"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" [Jn 15:13].

And remember, too, that freedom is a precious commodity. Too many of our politicians have little or no respect for freedom or for those who died defending it. Keep that in mind when you vote this November.

Pray for our nation this week.

Random Thoughts

What follows are just a few random thoughts that popped into my aging brain as I scanned the news yesterday evening and this morning. Among them are a few predictions, which will likely be very wrong indeed. In truth, though, I've sometimes done pretty well looking into the future. For example, back in 1967 when I was making my way through Navy flight training in Pensacola, I would occasionally chat with another flight student who happened to be a Saudi. It didn't take long to realize that he and his colleagues despised us. These conversations and other subsequent interactions I had with military officers from Muslim nations convinced me that our greatest future threat would come from the Islamic world, a threat motivated by a kind of irrational fanaticism. Whenever I aired these concerns in military circles the response was predictable: "You're crazy. It's the Soviet Union we need to worry about, not a bunch of Arabs." This attitude changed on 9/11/2001.

More recently I got quite good at predicting President Obama's actions involving the Middle East. My rule of thumb? Any action he took, any decision he made, would always support the Shiite Muslims. I may be wrong, but I believe this stemmed from the fact that his father was supposedly a Shiite. But enough of the past...

Bye-bye Europe. If you plan to vacation in Europe, I'd suggest you do so soon, while it still exists. The pro-abortion vote in once Catholic Ireland is just one more symptom of Europe's rapid decay. The acceptance of abortion, indeed the entire contraceptive mentality that has gripped much of Western Civilization for the past 50 years, is the primary cause of its future destruction. Once a people decides its weakest can be destroyed for any reason whatsoever, human life at every stage becomes essentially worthless. This can lead to nothing but the people's ultimate self-eradication.

The root causes? Europe's movers and shakers openly deny its Judeo-Christian roots and have convinced most of the population to do the same. In fact, Europe has discarded Christianity to such an extent that today European atheists quite likely outnumber its active Christians. And Europe's Jews are more at risk than anytime since the 1930s. It's all very sad and so predictable. Once the cult is removed from a culture there's really nothing left that's worth saving. I expect that my children and grandchildren will witness Europe's accelerating destruction from a kind of continent wide civil war. It will be messy, fueled by an immigrant-led insurgency, a confused and suicidal secular establishment, and a feisty nationalistic remnant. Think of Syria on a continental scale. Messy indeed.

Memorial Day Forgotten. I had hoped to visit the national cemetery in Bushnell, Florida on Memorial day, but then discovered that, along with Diane I was assigned as on-call chaplain at The Villages Hospital. And so we spent a few hours popping in and out of the rooms of the newly admitted folks, praying with them, talking and laughing about all sorts of things, and spreading God's love and mercy wherever He thought it was needed. It made for a good morning, and got my mind off of the weirdness that seems to arise on Memorial Day.

Every Memorial Day I suffer because of the stupidity and ignorance of so many. Yesterday, for example, some leftist talk show host stated that on this day we should honor those who resist President Trump. Hearing such talk from the left encourages me since I can't believe most Americans could possibly agree. If the day ever comes when a majority discard the true meaning of Memorial Day and replace it with such gross political tripe, we are doomed as a nation.

Then there's the trivial uttered by the clueless. Earlier yesterday morning a smiling TV meteorologist declared that Memorial Day is "really the day we celebrate the beginning of summer, the first real beach day!" She was hoping to join her family for a week's vacation at the Jersey shore.

Of course there are also those well-meaning but ignorant folks who confuse their holidays. One news flunky told everyone to "be sure to thank all those veterans out there on this day when the nation  remembers them." Yes, it's always nice to be thanked (on Veterans Day), but the ones we thank on Memorial Day are the ones resting in peace in our national cemeteries.

And I try to ignore all those who create the commercials and newspaper ads that use Memorial Day as a way to push their wares.

I really think the decline began in June 1968 when Congress voted to change the dates of four of our national holidays to give people three-day weekends. No longer would Memorial Day be celebrated on May 30; we would now salute our fallen on the last Monday of May. With this, people began to think more of the long weekend with its barbecues and trips to the shore than of those who gave their lives so we could taste such pleasures in the freedom they won and preserved for us.

Antifa Doing Their Thing

Democrat Crack-Up. I don't understand the Democrat party. Their visceral hatred of Donald Trump has seemingly blinded them to the reality of political life. Not long ago the polls (if you can believe them) gave the Democrats a huge lead in the upcoming November mid-term elections. Now those same polls show them several points behind. The party, which once had a rather large, influential, and moderate center, now seems to be led by those of the far left. Even Hillary, who's not all that moderate, recently complained that the socialists (aka Marxists) have taken over the party's leadership. And at the grassroots level it has become a party of far left special interests -- Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Planned Parenthood, CAIR, La Raza, Southern Poverty Law Center, etc. -- that certainly don't represent the beliefs of most Americans...at least not yet. Has the party become so ideological that it has lost the ability to engage in any kind of bipartisan effort or seek productive compromise? It would seem so. If the Democratic far left wins in November I suggest you pack your bags and go off the grid.

The Senator's Father

John McCain. Let me state up-front that, even though I voted for him, I've never been a fan of John McCain. I got to know his father, Admiral John S. McCain, years ago when he was Commander-in-Chief Pacific. As a young junior officer and Navy helicopter pilot I flew him around Hawaii for a few weeks and during this time had a number of interesting conversations with this crusty, cigar-smoking admiral. I developed a tremendous respect for him.

As for Senator McCain, I've always thought he was too much the politician. For me that's perhaps the worst thing you can say about a public figure since I can't think of a single career politician I respect. I'm sure there are a few deserving some respect; I just can't think of one. Career politicians, driven by their desire to remain in office, tend to lose whatever philosophical and moral grounding they might once have had. Lacking this firm foundation they say whatever is necessary to appease the voters and then do what is necessary to maintain power. I won't denigrate Senator McCain's patriotism because he certainly suffered at the hands of the Communist butchers of then North Vietnam. This, however, happened years ago and I have many friends who suffered right alongside him. No man should be judged solely on the good or bad he did in the distant past.

I'm concerned more with the senator's recent political antics that seem to be focused more on creating problems for his personal foe, President Trump, than on the good of the country. The latest piece of news is that he is waiting until after June 30 to resign, thus eliminating the need to have an election for his seat this year. This would allow Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to name McCain's wife, Cindy, to serve as senator until the 2020 elections. If this is true -- and I don't know that it is -- it seems to be just another example of a career politician's sense of entitlement. The voters are ignored so the politician's plans can be fulfilled. We'll just have to wait a month to find out.

John and Cindy McCain

I'm sorry that the senator is dying but that's something we must all face. As Senator McCain approaches his death, I ask God to grant him the same grace I hope and pray He grants me: that John McCain, the man, has the will to repair any damaged relationships he may have caused; that he is humble enough to heal any wounds he may have inflicted; and that he turn to His merciful God and Judge in repentance.

God's peace...

Homily: Monday, 9th Week of Ordinary Time

Readings: 2 Pt 1:2-7; Ps 91; Mk 12:1-12

Today, of course, is Memorial Day, the day when we honor those who have given their lives for the freedom we hold dear.

Offer a prayer of thanksgiving today; thank God for raising up those courageous souls so willing to sacrifice themselves so you and I can worship here this morning in freedom. Jesus said it best:

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” [Jn 15:13].

And so, today I recall my many friends who did exactly that, and I pray that, thanks to God's mercy, they now share eternal life in His presence.

Now…let’s turn to today’s Gospel.

Do you recall the scene in Saturday’s Gospel passage? The chief priests, scribes and elders had questioned Jesus’ authority, an authority they rejected even though it was accepted by the people. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience for these important men; Jesus had embarrassed them and revealed their hypocrisy. Now, in today’s Gospel, Jesus addressed these same hardened hearts with a parable.

Usually when confronted by a passage containing a parable the homily focuses on the parable’s interpretation – how it was perceived by those who first heard it and how we should understand it. But I think sometimes it’s just as important to understand the situation in which the parable was introduced. So that’s what I intend to do this morning.

Because Jesus’ disputes with the Jewish leadership were so frequent and so confrontational, it’s easy to believe that His aim was simply to expose them and condemn them. Yes, it would be easy to think this, but it would also be wrong.

In truth, Jesus hoped to soften their hardened hearts, and lead them to true conversion. In this we’re reminded of what God spoke through His prophet Jeremiah during some of Israel’s darkest days:

“I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in them doing good” [Jer 32:40-41].

Jesus teaching in the Temple

God rejoices, and all heaven rejoices with Him, when the sinner returns in true conversion of heart.

Have you ever considered that one of the reasons Jesus used parables as a teaching tool is because a parable contains a promise; it includes a message of hope. Jesus, you see, is always pursuing rebellious hearts, encouraging sinners to return to Him and do so freely.

Through this parable He hoped that the priests, scribes and elders would recognize their true selves and the evil that was consuming them. It’s that shock of recognition in one’s own sinfulness that causes the listener to question his life, and to realize that he must change. But such change can come only in the presence of humility. One must be willing to see oneself as a sinner.

The priests, scribes and elders, however, are so consumed by themselves, so sure of their own holiness, so certain that their observation of the law will save them, that they cannot even conceive of the need for a Savior. But Jesus will not turn away from them. He will continue to pursue them. And He does so by exposing them, again and again, to God’s hope for them.

"...they realized that he had addressed the parable to them."

One parable after another focuses on their weaknesses, on that which separates them from true friendship with God. Jesus never loses hope in their conversion. He never grows impatient. He continues to knock, hoping they will open the door and invite Him in.

He seems to plead with them: My love for you is beyond your understanding, and will launch a steady stream of arrows, arrows of divine love, into your hearts. The Father has filled me with His wisdom. And the Spirit is ready to move within you, to change you in ways you can’t imagine, if only you will respond, if only you will make the slightest nod in my direction.

“Listen,” Jesus says, “to another parable, and understand.”

Did they come to understand? Perhaps some did, even after they had shouted out those terrifying words, “Crucify Him!” [Mk 15:13] Yes, the Father sent His Son and the tenants put Him to death. 

The Father sent His Son...

And God takes His vengeance on the unfaithful, the hardhearted, the sinful, and He does so in a most unusual, unpredictable way: 

He overwhelms them with His mercy.

Memorial Day: Remember Those Who Gave All

Yesterday afternoon, as I was walking little Maddie on our circuitous route through the neighborhood, two other walkers passed by and both smiled and said, "Thank you for your service." I was wearing an old Navy t-shirt which obviously tipped them off that I was a veteran. I returned their smiles and wished them a good day. I know their hearts were in the right place, but I really wanted to tell them that the purpose of Memorial Day is not to honor our veterans -- we have a special day for that in November -- but rather it's a time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives for our country. I suppose I'm being a bit too narrow in my view here, and should be pleased that others are willing to honor all who served our country, whether in peacetime or in war. But I hate to see the true meaning of Memorial Day watered down, even for the best of intentions.

I lost many close friends, particularly during the war in Vietnam, and Memorial Day always brings their faces and their voices to mind. Forever young, they never had the opportunity to be fathers to their children, to enjoy spoiling their grandchildren, or even to walk their dogs through a Florida retirement community. 

Henry Wright, my Naval Academy classmate and friend, who wanted nothing more than to be a Marine, achieved his goal and then became the first of our classmates to die in Vietnam on February 6, 1968 after just one month in-country. 

Bart Creed, another friend and classmate, was flying a mission over the Ho Chi Minh Trail when his Navy A-7 Corsair was shot down. He was likely captured but may have died from injuries suffered during his ejection. To my knowledge, his remains have never been found. 

Classmate Hal Castle, a fellow helo pilot, was assigned to HAL-3, the Navy's helicopter attack squadron in South Vietnam. His helo was shot down by enemy fire on April 28, 1969 resulting in Hal's death, along with two others in the crew. One crewman survived. 

And then I remember, Ron Zinn. Ron was my brother's roommate at West Point (Class of 1962). He was a remarkable young man, a race walker who finished 6th in the 20 km race at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This was the best performance ever by an American walker. During his years at West Point, Ron spent many weekends at our New York home and had to suffer being idolized by his roommate's teen-aged brother. After his Olympic performance Ron returned to Army duty and died in a firefight in South Vietnam on July 7, 1965. My brother, Jeff, died in 2010.

My brother, Jeff, and Ron Zinn on graduation day, 1962

There are so many others, but I can hardly bear writing about these men whose courage is beyond measurement. Rest in Peace.

I've added a photo (below) of the memorial plaque honoring my Naval Academy classmates  who gave their lives while on active duty. The last name, Mike Smith, was another friend who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.

USNA Class of 1967 - Memorial

Memorial Day

Dear Diane and I are leaving tomorrow for points slightly north...North Carolina to be exact. I haven't posted too much recently but hope to change that once we return after the holiday weekend.

In the meantime, take some time from the barbeques and other festivities this Memorial Day weekend to remember those who willingly gave their lives for the rest of us. I think of my friends and Naval Academy classmates who lost their lives on active duty in Vietnam and elsewhere: Henry Wright, Guido Carloni, Hal Castle, Bart Creed, Jim Hicks, and so many others. Below is a photo of a plaque in Memorial Hall at the Naval Academy honoring the members of my class who died on active duty. You will notice the last name is that of Mike Smith, the pilot of the space shuttle Challenger. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

I've also included a video that I thought was especially appropriate:

I'll close this post with a quote from President Ronald Reagan, Memorial Day 1986:

I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they're still helping each other on. They were quite a group, the boys of Vietnam -- boys who fought a terrible and vicious war without enough support from home, boys who were dodging bullets while we debated the efficacy of the battle. It was often our poor who fought in that war; it was the unpampered boys of the working class who picked up the rifles and went on the march. They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other. And they were special in another way: They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of their time. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They had the wild, wild courage of youth. They seized certainty from the heart of an ambivalent age; they stood for something.

And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong. 

God's peace...

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2010

Once you get past the idiotic car commercials and all the other ads that bombard us with their Memorial Day sales, I suggest you take a quiet moment to reflect on the true meaning of this very special day. 

For 235 years the citizens of this nation have answered the call to defend it from those who would destroy it, and to come to the aid of other nations who lacked the resources to defend themselves against aggression. Since our nation's founding well over a million Americans have given their lives during time of war, and another million-and-a-half suffered wounds.* Millions more, of course, served our nation bravely during those wars and by doing so willingly disrupted their lives so that other Americans could continue to live in the freedom we cherish.

Today, while countless Americans sit in their easy chairs watching American Idol or Survivor or other mindless forms of entertainment, thousands of young men and women are serving our nation heroically halfway around the world in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places they are not even permitted to mention. They are fighting our enemies in distant lands so you and I won't have to face them here at home. It is not a pretty war, and some of these brave souls are dying, many as a result of cowardly, suicidal acts that don't discriminate between civilians and combatants. But our brave men and women are also working closely with the people of these far-off countries winning their hearts and minds. Our enemy today is like none we have ever faced. They are stateless and live in the shadow areas of many countries. They are a brutal, vicious enemy, an enemy that rationalizes virtually any horrific act as a religious mandate. But one thing we can count on: evil such as this will never prevail.

And so today take a moment to recall those whom you have known who gave their lives for this country, who gave their lives for you. Pray for them and for their families, for those who loved them. Thank God for them and their selfless sacrifices. And thank God, too, for all those who continue serving our unique and blessed nation today.

I have included below a photo of the memorial plaque listing all those in my United States Naval Academy Class of 1967 who gave their lives while serving on active duty. May they rest in the peace of Jesus Christ. They were my classmates and my friends. Many died in Vietnam when we were all young. I miss them and pray for them daily. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

*For statistics on US casualties in all wars, click here.

God bless America and those who have died keeping her free.